Avalanche Advisory: Monday - Feb 17, 2020

THIS AVALANCHE ADVISORY EXPIRED ON February 18, 2020 @ 6:54 am
Avalanche Advisory published on February 17, 2020 @ 6:54 am

Issued by Steve Mace - ESAC

Bottom Line

How to read the advisory

LOW avalanche danger persists at all elevations today. Generally safe avalanche conditions exist. Be on the lookout for isolated areas of unstable snow and be aware that the biggest hazards right now are the low coverage and variable surface conditions.

1. Low

Above Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

1. Low

Near Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

1. Low

Below Treeline

Generally safe avalanche conditions. Watch for unstable snow on isolated terrain features.

Avalanche Problem 1: Normal Caution

Type ?

advisory discussion

Mostly sunny skies yesterday led to substantial surface melting. Field observations identified moist surface grains on all aspects at lower elevations and these effects were intensified on solar aspects. Temperatures were conducive to a hard refreeze last night and a variety of hard slick surfaces will exist throughout the range this morning. We can expect surface snow to soften on solar aspects by midday but sizable loose wet activity will remain unlikely.

While our recent weather patterns have led to relatively benign avalanche conditions, the biggest hazards today may be the thin coverage and the hard slick surface conditions. Timing will be important if you decide to venture into the backcountry. It may be necessary to climb on hard frozen snow and wait for the sun to soften things up before descending. Continue to practice safe travel techniques and bring the proper equipment for your objective. Most importantly be flexible and move to less consequential terrain if the challenging conditions don’t match up with your group's equipment or ability level.

recent observations

Submit Snowpack Observations

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02/16-Mammoth area- Snow conditions on Panorama dome

02/16- Mammoth area- Surface warming, Minaret vista

02/16- Virginia lakes- Snow conditions

02/16-Mammoth area- Snow conditions, Minaret vista

02/15-Independence- Onion valley snow conditions

02/15-McGee Creek- Snow conditions, Mt Aggie

Weather and CURRENT CONDITIONS

weather summary

A weak cold front moved through the area last night bringing a hard refreeze after yesterday’s unseasonably warm temperatures. Expect cooler temperatures today with light north winds and mostly clear skies. Highs will be in the mid 30°s at mid-elevations and ridgetop gusts may reach into the mid-teens.

Dry and warm conditions are likely to prevail for the remainder of this week with a slight chance of unsettled weather at the end of next week.

Two-Day Mountain Weather Forecast Produced in partnership with the Reno NWS

For 8,000 ft. to 10,000 ft.

	Monday	Monday Night	Tuesday
Weather:	Partly cloudy then becoming sunny.	Clear.	Partly cloudy.
Temperatures:	35 to 45. deg. F.	17 to 23. deg. F.	34 to 44. deg. F.
Mid Slope Winds:	North around 10 mph.	North around 15 mph.	Southwest around 15 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	0 in.	0 in.

Over 10,000 ft.

	Monday	Monday Night	Tuesday
Weather:	Partly cloudy then becoming sunny.	Clear then becoming partly cloudy.	Partly cloudy.
Temperatures:	27 to 35. deg. F.	13 to 18. deg. F.	27 to 35. deg. F.
Ridge Top Winds:	North 10 to 15 mph.	North 10 to 15 mph..	Southwest 10 to 15 mph.
Expected snowfall:	0 in.	0 in.	0 in.

Disclaimer

This Avalanche Advisory is designed to generally describe avalanche conditions where local variations always occur. This product only applies to backcountry areas located outside established ski area boundaries. The information in this Avalanche Advisory is provided by the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, who is solely responsible for its content.